Getting involved in UoN Sport at Welcome Fair

For new and returning students at the University of Nottingham, the Welcome Fair represents a chance to find out more about sports clubs and societies which are on offer at the University. With a huge range of different clubs on offer, from Archery to Windsurfing; it allows students to consider new and exciting sports which may well not have been accessible to them before, or to continue playing a sport which they have enjoyed in the past.

Hundreds of stalls will be set up in the newly built David Ross Sports Village on Monday and Tuesday, which also allows new students to get a closer look at the £40 million building, whilst they peruse through the many different stalls, finding out more details on how to get involved.

Neil Hudson, of Korfball, spoke to Impact about his hopes for Freshers’:

NH: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to try something new at Uni that you probably wouldn’t try outside. That was my thought process when I was a fresher and I don’t regret it one bit. Embrace making the mistakes at the start because a lot of people are in your position as well – it’s amazing how quickly you progress.”

Whilst Canoe Polo’s James Downs had some vital advice for people who have never tried his sport before:

JD: “Many of the current best players had not started the sport until Uni. It is very easy to improve rapidly. Those with limited knowledge of the rules can pick it up over time and still achieve a lot. Simply, the more you attend the more you will improve, yet there is no pressure to attend any more sessions than you would like to”.

David Ross speaking at last year’s DRSV opening

Sub Aqua President Eleanor Miles hit the nail on the head when discussing how University allows you to try something unique:

EM: “Being a smaller club, everyone gets to know each other very quickly and make friends (even spouses in the case of some!) for life. We’re an incredibly inclusive club, our members have a very wide range of physical abilities and levels of experience, and we cater for all levels of skill from complete novice to advanced.”

The University of Nottingham enjoys a strong sporting reputation, and offers more sports than any other university in the UK. All of the clubs at the Welcome Fair offer beginner and social sessions, so for those wanting to take up a new sport, this is a great chance to give it a try. For those who perhaps are already decided on a sport, perhaps one they have played before, then the Welcome Fair is a great way to get involved at University, and offers you the chance to go on and play in the famous green and gold of UoN; playing at local, national or even international level in competitions such as Varsity and BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport).

At Easter time, students who progress within their sports gain the opportunity to compete against Nottingham Trent in the Varsity series, in which the two Nottingham universities play each other in a variety of sports to earn points and attempt to win the Varsity series.

The University of Nottingham have experienced somewhat of a period of (Green and) Golden years in recent series, as their 12:9 triumph over their rivals in 2017 saw them secure the city bragging rights for a sixth consecutive year. They failed to secure the crown in what many see as the highlight of each series, however, losing 5:4 in Ice Hockey, considered one of the biggest events in the sport outside North America.

The Welcome Fair will be open from 9am until 5pm on Monday and Tuesday, and whilst that might entail an early start after a heavy night, you won’t regret forcing yourself to get out of bed in order to join one of the country’s most exciting sporting communities.